Window Tint - 27% or 35%??

[colo4runner]

I have a 03 black 4runner....

The legal limit here in colorado is 27%. I am concerned about visibility at night, and am also considering 35%.

Is there much of a difference between the 27% and 35% in:

1) visibility
2) appearance
3) and in keeping the vehicle cooler?

I realize that the 27% would be a closer match to the rear windows, but visability I think would be a more important factor (for me).

Any photos of either would be appreciated, and any suggestions on type, etc. I assume that any difference between the two (27% and 35%) would be minimal??

Thanks

 

[iFORCE]

The difference is pretty minimal. Remember that the rear windows are already tinted and by putting on 27% both front and rear.. the rears will be darker.

I'd personally prefer that the front windows are slightly lighter then the rears... but that's my preference.

The 27% will be slightly darker... but unless you look at it real closely.... and compare the two.. you won't notice too much of a difference. If the legal amount is 27%, then I'd just tint it at 27%.

remember.. 27% is darker then 35%.

 

[broncosi]

Is there much of a difference between the 27% and 35% in:

1) visibility
2) appearance
3) and in keeping the vehicle cooler?

I realize that the 27% would be a closer match to the rear windows, but visability I think would be a more important factor (for me).

legal limit is 27% ?? how random is that? anyways,


Visibility: Check! you will have no issues seeing out at night unless your legally blind. Ive got 20% and dont have an issue, im actually thinking about goin for the big 05% eventually.

Appearance: Check! the 27% will look like a closer match to the back windows thus making it look more "stylish" the 35% doesnt even look close to a match up with the back. When the sun is shining you cant really even tell that their tinted.

Cooler: not so much. I know this might be a downfall for you because obviously your not looking to do it for look but for functionality. When you park your car it will still be hot when you get in. However when driving and sitting in traffic it is noticably cooler, you dont really feel the wrath of the sun.

so all in all i think you will be happier with the 27% in the end, i attached a pic of my truck with the front 2 at 20% and the rear at 5% and then i have a 5% banner across the front

 

[alpha]

uhh, tinting those front windows with anything is going to be illegal in colorado. the factory tint is at a 20%, and according to colorado law, it's legal now if the front two are clear, but if all windows except the windshield are tinted, then 27% all the way around is the legal limit.

 

[broncosi]

uhh, tinting those front windows with anything is going to be illegal in colorado. the factory tint is at a 20%, and according to colorado law, it's legal now if the front two are clear, but if all windows except the windshield are tinted, then 27% all the way around is the legal limit.

what?!?!?! that made no since whatsoever. you say tinting is illegal all together in colorado. then you say 27% all around. does anyone have the actual legal limits?? on suvs you can black out all the back windows, the legal limits apply (on SUV's) to the front 2 windows. The windshield is only allowed to have a tinted banner (any percentage) but it can only be 5 or 6 inches or to the AS1 line, which ever comes first. so basically my question is, what is the legal limit in colorado for tinting the front windows?

 

[colo4runner]

thanks for the posts, I think 27% is the way to go.

I believe in Colorado, the legal limit is 27% for the front (and for the rears), so all tinting is consistent.

I think what alpha was saying is that if the back is darker than the front, then you can't tint the front as it would not be consistent (ie, the back is darker than the 27% limit). You can go darker it in back, but then couldn't do the front as it would not be cosistenst throughout. If that makes sense from my interpretation anyway of the colorado limits?

I can't imagine there is a problem going with the 27%, even if the rears are 20%. - there would be no legal tint shops in colo if that was the case.

I am sold on the 27%, rather than 35%. Doesn't sound like the 35% will provide too much, and visiability will not be an issue with the 27%.

thanks again for the posts.

 

[alpha]

what?!?!?! that made no since whatsoever. you say tinting is illegal all together in colorado. then you say 27% all around. does anyone have the actual legal limits?? on suvs you can black out all the back windows, the legal limits apply (on SUV's) to the front 2 windows. The windshield is only allowed to have a tinted banner (any percentage) but it can only be 5 or 6 inches or to the AS1 line, which ever comes first. so basically my question is, what is the legal limit in colorado for tinting the front windows?

thanks for the posts, I think 27% is the way to go.

I believe in Colorado, the legal limit is 27% for the front (and for the rears), so all tinting is consistent.

I think what alpha was saying is that if the back is darker than the front, then you can't tint the front as it would not be consistent (ie, the back is darker than the 27% limit). You can go darker it in back, but then couldn't do the front as it would not be cosistenst throughout. If that makes sense from my interpretation anyway of the colorado limits?

I can't imagine there is a problem going with the 27%, even if the rears are 20%. - there would be no legal tint shops in colo if that was the case.

I am sold on the 27%, rather than 35%. Doesn't sound like the 35% will provide too much, and visiability will not be an issue with the 27%.

thanks again for the posts.

Okay, what I was saying was:

There are two statutes to Colorado tint law.

1. If you were to tint all the windows, minus the front windshield, the legal limit is 27% on all the windows.

2. If you were to leave the front 2 windows clear, then you can tint the rear any darkness.

I didn't say that tinting in colorado was illegal.

I meant to say, that since the 4Runner factory tint is at 20%, which makes it darker than 27%, tinting those front two windows with any darkness film, either it be 20%, 35%, 50%, etc. would be an illegal application in colorado.

and being 27%, that's typically a net value of light transmission. chances are, a lot of shops won't put on a 27% film as given some differences in glass, putting that 27% could make it illegal.

essentially, what i was trying to say was that tinting the front two windows of the 4Runner in colorado would be an illegal application. it seemed, and i could be wrong, that colo4runner from the initial post, thought that putting the 27% or 35% on the front two windows would still be a legal application.

 

[broncosi]

I didn't say that tinting in colorado was illegal.

uhh, tinting those front windows with anything is going to be illegal.

not ragging on yall but what state would make the legal tint limit for the back windows 27% when most all SUVs come with stock 20% ??

The law does make since to me as to what your aloud to tint, just doesnt make since why. What i understand is its trying to keep a balance between the front and the back for whatever purpose, which i think is to balance the light inside the vehicle so basically your going to be able to see into the car in daylight. This makes me think yall have had a bad incident with tinted windows and cops out there. Thats the only reason i can think of that the cops are "scared" now. With good reason, i know if i was a cop i wouldnt want to walk up to a car with blacked out windows and have the driver roll down a window with a gun pointed at my face

and being 27%, that's typically a net value of light transmission. chances are, a lot of shops won't put on a 27% film as given some differences in glass, putting that 27% could make it illegal.

when they test your windows they will give you a 3% range because they understand that not all light meters will read the same. Also if he lives in a somewhat rural town then alot of times the inspection guy will not have a light meter, he'll just look and check "tint" or "no tint". So you can just ask around about the process of how they inspect windows at different shops. And when he gets them done i beleive if he requests 27% then they will tint 28 29 or possibly 30% so that way it will never be caught below 27% even with that 3% margin of error.

chances are, a lot of shops won't put on a 27% film.

shops will put what ever tint on that you want, they dont care what the legal limit is as long as your not a cop. they will tint all your windows up to 5%, ive heard of shops that will tint down to 1%. just different circumstances, with some your sacrificing waranties or no receipt. keep looking around though if your intrested, i found a shop ill stick with for all my tinting, that will tint to whatever percentage and still give you the lifetime warranty and a receipt.

i know a little bit about tinting . . .

 

[alpha]

not ragging on yall but what state would make the legal tint limit for the back windows 27% when most all SUVs come with stock 20% ??

The law does make since to me as to what your aloud to tint, just doesnt make since why. What i understand is its trying to keep a balance between the front and the back for whatever purpose, which i think is to balance the light inside the vehicle so basically your going to be able to see into the car in daylight. This makes me think yall have had a bad incident with tinted windows and cops out there. Thats the only reason i can think of that the cops are "scared" now. With good reason, i know if i was a cop i wouldnt want to walk up to a car with blacked out windows and have the driver roll down a window with a gun pointed at my face



when they test your windows they will give you a 3% range because they understand that not all light meters will read the same. Also if he lives in a somewhat rural town then alot of times the inspection guy will not have a light meter, he'll just look and check "tint" or "no tint". So you can just ask around about the process of how they inspect windows at different shops. And when he gets them done i beleive if he requests 27% then they will tint 28 29 or possibly 30% so that way it will never be caught below 27% even with that 3% margin of error.



shops will put what ever tint on that you want, they dont care what the legal limit is as long as your not a cop. they will tint all your windows up to 5%, ive heard of shops that will tint down to 1%. just different circumstances, with some your sacrificing waranties or no receipt. keep looking around though if your intrested, i found a shop ill stick with for all my tinting, that will tint to whatever percentage and still give you the lifetime warranty and a receipt.

i know a little bit about tinting . . .

actually, quite a few states make it illegal to tint the front two windows of a vehicle if the rear is past a certain darkness. but SUVs, trucks, and vans, with either 15% or 20% factory darkness in the rear are legal here if the front two windows are untinted.

and yeah, there is a 3% margin of error, which i would think most shops would put 30% on for that reason. but at the same time, different films have different VLT readings.

and not all shops do illegal applications. some shops won't go as dark as limo.

i know a little bit about tinting as well.. i'm a tinter in colorado :

 

[broncosi]

actually, quite a few states make it illegal to tint the front two windows of a vehicle if the rear is past a certain darkness. but SUVs, trucks, and vans, with either 15% or 20% factory darkness in the rear are legal here if the front two windows are untinted.

isnt that stupid though?? knowing that 85% of SUVs come from the factory with tinted windows that are 20-15%?

yea i actually just started tinting windows about 2 weeks ago for a place here in wilmington but i prob still have alot to learn about it.

and about the shops tinting whatever you want, you can usually tell when you walk in weather they will or not, the more professional places ( the first place i got my windows tinted by) wouldnt do it. Then the next time i did it was with the company im with now and they didnt seem to have an issue with it so i guess its all in prefrence

 

[jpless]

Anyone know what the legal limit is in dc? My friends and I have argued about it haha. Some say its around 35% in the front and some say anything other than factory tint is illegal.

Here's some helpful info tho:
To get around inspection if you have illegal tint all you need to do is:
before you go to get it inspected, roll down the windows with the illegal tint and take out the fuse that controls them. Remember, it's not illegal to have broken windows, vehicles don't legally need windows. They'll simply make note that your windows dont work.

I think that my friend is right in saying you can't have any non-factory tint in dc. However, i want to tint my fronts about 35-50% and therefore, i'll just roll em down and take out the fuse when i get it inspected (make sure you go when its not supposed to rain).

 

[sharp4runr]

uhhh, I don't know about DC but in Virginia they'll fail you for non working windows. Doesn't matter if they are down and don't go up, they don't work and thats all there is to it.

 

[Solice]

Anyone know what the legal limit is in dc? My friends and I have argued about it haha. Some say its around 35% in the front and some say anything other than factory tint is illegal.

Here's some helpful info tho:
To get around inspection if you have illegal tint all you need to do is:
before you go to get it inspected, roll down the windows with the illegal tint and take out the fuse that controls them. Remember, it's not illegal to have broken windows, vehicles don't legally need windows. They'll simply make note that your windows dont work.

I think that my friend is right in saying you can't have any non-factory tint in dc. However, i want to tint my fronts about 35-50% and therefore, i'll just roll em down and take out the fuse when i get it inspected (make sure you go when its not supposed to rain).

I've had my truck inspected by Toyota with 15% tint on my front windows, no problem (supposed limit in PA is either no tint on front's or 35%). However, I have had one of my friend's fail an inspection because his driver's side window would not go up. Once we got it up manually in the parking lot they passed it but said they could not pass a vehicle with a window stuck in the down position.

I don't think I would try the pulling the fuse maneuver.

 

[etom1028]

here is a link for state tint laws.

http://tintcenter.com/laws/

 

[4Crawler34]

i dont really like window tint on my 4 runner but i used to have an acura integra with it on there. i said screw the law and hard 5% all around then 35% on the front. 15% is the highest id go with that tho. i just rolled my windows down at night. but like if you get 35% you wil be able to see straight threw your car. I was never given any problems with my tint at license checks, and ive never been pulled over and given a ticket (in my small 4 years of driving) . but i know people who have gotten tickets for their tint and it only occured when they were drinking and driving, speeding or somthing of the sort. their tickets ranged from $35 to $200 (in which case this guy was a 5 time offender over 2 years). i would go all out privacy is privacy to me. the only reason i dont have it because i think it would look wierd on my 86' truck lol.